CREW TAKEN OFF MOTOR VESSEL AGROUND Swanage, Dorset. At 3.9 on the morning of the 10th of March, 1962, the coastguard at St. Aldhelm's Head informed the assistant honorary secretary that a vessel was ashore on the rocks under the coastguard look-out.

The life-boat R.L.P. was launched at 3.36 in a light south-easterly breeze and a moderate sea. It was two and a half hours before low water. The life-boat made for the position given in poor visibility caused by fog and rain. The coxswain found the motor vessel Sand Dart of Southampton on the rocks broadside on to the cliff.

The vessel was being pounded by a heavy swell, and the master asked the coxswain to take off five of his crew.

The master, the chief engineer and the mate decided to remain on board.

The five men were taken on board the life-boat, which landed them at Swanage at 7.15, where arrangements had been made for a local representative of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society to care for them.

At ten o'clock the coastguard asked for the assistance of the life-boat to connect a tow line to the tanker Esso Lyndhurst, which was standing by to refloat the Sand Dart. The life-boat was launched at 10.23, half an hour before high water. The master of the Sand Dart asked the coxswain if he would take a wire to the tanker, but the coxswain considered this impracticable and asked for a lighter line. A four-inch nylon rope was then produced, but the life-boat was unable to manoeuvre with the rope over her quarter. By this time the life-boat had drifted towards the rocks, and the coxswain had to slip the rope to avoid damage to the life-boat. The life-boat picked up the line later and succeeded in connecting it to the Esso Lyndhurst.

However, the line soon parted, and as the Sand Dart had by this time settled firmly on the rocks on the ebb tide, further attempts to refloat her were abandoned. The life-boat returned to her station, which she reached at two o'clock..